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Penguins Recall Sam Poulin On Emergency Basis

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As previously reported by Seth Rorabaugh of The Tribune-Review, the Pittsburgh Penguins have announced the emergency recall of forward Samuel Poulin from their AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

It wasn’t all that long ago that Poulin was considered one of the Penguins’ top prospects, and by some accounts, he still is. Pittsburgh selected Poulin with the 21st overall pick of the 2019 NHL Draft, and he scored 16 goals and 37 points in 72 games during his rookie AHL campaign in 2021-22.

Unfortunately, largely due to an extended leave of absence, Poulin didn’t take any developmental steps the following season. Still, he returned as a solid secondary scorer for the AHL Penguins in 2023-24, scoring 16 goals and 31 points in 41 contests.

This season has been his best in professional hockey by far. He’s fourth on WBS in scoring, managing 19 goals and 43 points in 56 games with a +5 rating. Meanwhile, he’s registered a career-record six appearances with Pittsburgh this season, notching one assist while averaging 10:06 of ice time per game.

Given the assumed roster turnover in Pittsburgh this summer, there’s a significant opportunity for Poulin to crack the 2025-26 opening night roster. He’s signed through next season on a league-minimum salary, and the Penguins have nothing to lose by allowing him a longer tryout than they’ve afforded in the past.

Kings Recall Taylor Ward, Reassign Caleb Jones

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There will now be two Taylor Wards in the Los Angeles area. The Kings announced they’ve recalled Ward from their AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign, on an emergency basis and reassigned defenseman Caleb Jones in a corresponding roster move.

While the other Ward has patrolled left field for the MLB’s Los Angeles Angels for the last eight years, the Kings’ Ward has spent the last three-and-a-half years with AHL Ontario, including the 2024-25 AHL season. After a four-year career with the NCAA’s University of Nebraska-Omaha program, Los Angeles brought Ward into the organization as a collegiate free agent in 2022.

He’s been a capable tertiary scorer for the Reign, scoring 35 goals and 59 points in 223 AHL contests. Without having much in the way of postseason experience, Ward has registered two goals and eight points in 14 playoff games. There’s no word on whether or not he’ll suit up for the Kings tonight. Still, they have nothing to lose by allowing him to make his NHL debut.

Meanwhile, Jones was recalled on an emergency basis only a few days ago. He appeared in his first NHL contest in five months, registering zero points against the Seattle Kraken after accruing 11:20 of ice time. Jones, as Ward will eventually, will now be tasked with helping the Reign in their pursuit of the Calder Cup.

Michael Carcone Will Test Free Agency

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Utah winger Michael Carcone isn’t interested in re-signing with the Club and will test unrestricted free agency this summer, he told reporters during today’s exit meetings (via Brogan Houston of Deseret News).

Carcone said he was looking for more consistent playing time, something he definitely didn’t get in Utah following his breakout 21-goal season with the Coyotes last year. The 28-year-old was in the press box for long stretches of the campaign, including an eight-game streak near the beginning of the season. He also spent nine of Utah’s final 10 games as a healthy scratch as Utah chased but ultimately fell short of a postseason berth.

When dressed, Carcone was similarly productive on a per-game basis as he was last year in Arizona. He wasn’t scoring goals at the clip he did in 2023-24, but upped his assist tally to make up for it. He finished the year with 7-12–19 in 53 games, a 29-point pace over a full season. That’s fine production for a diminutive third or fourth-line scoring forward like Carcone. He averaged 11:26 per game and shot at a 9.3% clip, less than half of the 18.9% finishing rate that fueled last year’s goal-scoring performance.

The Ontario native is two years removed from an AHL scoring title, posting 31-54–85 in 65 games with Tucson in the 2022-23 season. He’s stuck on NHL rosters in Arizona and Utah since then on the two-year, $1.55MM contract he signed in the 2023 offseason. He’s shown enough staying power at the NHL level to earn a small pay bump this summer. AFP Analytics projected a one-year, $1MM extension if he was to stay in Utah, a deal he could likely improve upon slightly on the open market.

Thus, look for teams in need of a tertiary scoring option to look to Carcone as a high-upside option that won’t break the bank. Cap-conscious teams looking to augment their depth scoring next year like the Predators, Bruins, and Wild could be fits of mutual interest.

Atlantic Notes: Lindholm, Roy, McCabe, Ekman-Larsson, Puljujärvi

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Bruins center Elias Lindholm dealt with a back injury throughout his first season in Boston, he revealed to reporters at today’s exit meetings (via Ty Anderson of 98.5 The Sports Hub). He sustained it in August, and it’s what caused him to miss most of training camp before playing all 82 games for the Bruins. It should offer some explanation for his continued offensive struggles, posting 17-30–47 for a 0.57 points per game rate after signing a massive seven-year, $54.25MM deal with Boston in free agency. This year marked Lindholm’s second straight campaign with less than 20 goals after he potted 42 for the Flames in 2021-22. He remains one of the league’s better faceoff-takers with a 55.2% win rate on nearly 1,400 draws, but that alone doesn’t justify his $7.75MM cap hit without increased offensive production. Boston will hope for a rebound next year to aid in their retooling.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic:

  • Canadiens prospect Joshua Roy won’t be on their playoff roster, at least to start. The team announced that they’ve sent him to AHL Laval, which is on the verge of clinching the AHL’s regular-season title and is set to begin a playoff run themselves. The 21-year-old winger had been on Montreal’s roster since March 10 but was a healthy scratch in their final 11 games as they successfully chased a wild-card berth. A 2021 fifth-round pick, Roy ends his second NHL season with just two goals and a minus-six rating in 12 appearances. He’s been a continued first-line threat in Laval, where he scored 20-15–35 in 46 games before his most recent call-up.
  • The Maple Leafs expect defensemen Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Jake McCabe to be available for Game 1 of their first-round series against the Senators on Sunday, head coach Craig Berube said today (via David Alter of The Hockey News). Neither will dress in tonight’s season finale against the Red Wings. OEL will end up missing the final four games of the season with an upper-body injury, while McCabe will miss a seventh straight game with an undisclosed injury. Both have been invaluable pieces of Toronto’s blue line in 2024-25, averaging north of 21 minutes per game with some of the best two-way metrics on the team.
  • Panthers winger Jesse Puljujärvi was sent to AHL Charlotte yesterday ahead of the playoffs, but he won’t be available immediately if Florida decides to recall him during the postseason. The NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced they’ve suspended him for two games for an illegal check to the head of Lightning winger Mitchell Chaffee in Tuesday night’s game. It’s the first supplemental discipline of Puljujärvi’s eight-year career.

Jets, Neal Pionk Agree To Six-Year Extension

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The Jets and defenseman Neal Pionk have agreed to a long-term extension to keep him off this summer’s unrestricted free agent market, Murat Ates of The Athletic reports. The team later announced it’s a six-year, $42MM deal, making him $7MM per season. The deal breaks down as follows, per PuckPedia:

2025-26: $4MM salary, $4MM signing bonus
2026-27: $8MM salary
2027-28: $7.5MM salary
2028-29: $7.5MM salary
2029-30: $6MM salary
2030-31: $5MM salary

Pionk was ticketed to be the top UFA defenseman this summer after Jakob Chychrun opted to extend with the Capitals last month. He lands a raise and the richest total contract of his career as expected, but instead of doing so on the open market, he’ll take the deal to stay with this year’s Presidents’ Trophy winners.

Long viewed as somewhat of an underwhelming top-four piece in Winnipeg, the 29-year-old Pionk has flipped the script in 2024-25. While a late-season lower-body injury nixed his chance at setting a career-high in points, he still managed the second-most productive season of his career on a per-game basis, eclipsing his first year with Winnipeg in 2019-20. He finished the season seventh on the team in scoring with 10-29–39 in 69 games and posted a +21 rating, third on the Jets behind Dylan Samberg and Dylan DeMelo.

Advanced statistics paint a less rosy but still promising picture of Pionk’s improved two-way results. He logged a 50.5 CF% and 52.1 xGF% at even strength, the latter standing as a career-high and the first time he’s been above water in expected goals in his eight-year career. They weren’t close to being the best numbers on the Jets, who controlled possession quite well this season in front of Jennings Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck, but are still a welcome step forward in Pionk’s defensive game and went a long way toward earning him a long-term commitment from Winnipeg.

In keeping Pionk off the open market, general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff’s attention must turn toward a long-term deal to keep the pending RFA Samberg in Winnipeg. His defensive acumen alongside Pionk on the Jets’ second pairing was a major factor in the latter’s success in 2024-25. The fourth-year NHLer has a career-high 20 points while averaging 21:08 per game, up nearly six minutes from last year’s deployment. The Jets still have $25.7MM in cap space for next season after registering Pionk’s deal with five roster spots to burn, per PuckPedia. Another $4.8MM will likely go to Samberg on a mid-term deal, AFP Analytics projects.

As for Pionk, he gets a 15-team no-trade clause from 2025-26 through 2027-28 as part of the deal, PuckPedia reports. It drops to a 10-team no-trade clause for the final three seasons. He’ll have a chance to be one of the longest-tenured defensemen in Jets history when all is said and done. He’s spent the last six years in Manitoba after Winnipeg acquired him from the Rangers, along with a first-round draft pick that turned into Ville Heinola, in exchange for Jacob Trouba in the 2019 offseason. Since the trade, Pionk has 37-179–216 in 435 games with a +39 rating and ranks fourth in scoring all-time among Jets/Thrashers defensemen, trailing Dustin Byfuglien (416), Josh Morrissey (373), and Toby Enström (308).

For teams looking for a two-way presence on the open market this summer, they won’t find a comparable right-shot option to Pionk but could look at a left-shot like Ivan Provorov who’s comfortable playing on his off-side. As for the title of top pending UFA defender overall, that likely falls to Kings shutdown extraordinaire Vladislav Gavrikov.

Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images.

Islanders’ Cole Eiserman Likely Returning To Boston University For Sophomore Year

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Top Islanders prospect Cole Eiserman is expected to return to Boston University for his sophomore season in 2025-26, Stefen Rosner of NHL.com and The Hockey News reports. He’ll wait at least another year before considering signing his entry-level contract.

Selected 20th overall by the Isles in last year’s draft, Eiseman is the crown jewel of New York’s prospect pool by a gargantuan margin. He checked in as the No. 18 prospect in the league in Scott Wheeler of The Athletic’s winter 2025 rankings, the only Islander in the top 100. He’s among the top three up-and-coming left-wingers with truly elite shooting talent, although drawbacks in other aspects of his game caused him to fall out of the top 10 in 2024.

He made strides in those areas in his freshman year with the Terriers, though. He also finished fourth on the team in points and led them in goals with 25-11–36 in 39 games, helping them advance to the national championship game. It’s easy to see why, assuming the Islanders don’t envision him in the NHL next year, he’d prefer developing in the collegiate environment that’s treated him quite well thus far. New York’s AHL affiliate in Bridgeport isn’t a desirable development destination at the moment – they’re set to finish last in the league by a wide margin with a 15-48-4-3 record through 70 games.

But overall, Eiserman’s post-draft year should inspire confidence in his selection, especially that late in the first round. He also managed a point per game for the United States at this year’s World Juniors despite averaging the least ice time of any forward. While he’ll never be a premier play-driver, he’s a slam-dunk future first-line winger and top power-play fixture in a supportive environment. It’s hard not to see him in the NHL beginning with the 2026-27 campaign.

Examining Potential Offer Sheet Targets

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Last summer, a rare occurrence happened in the NHL when the St. Louis Blues sent two offer sheets to the Edmonton Oilers and were eventually successful in acquiring forward Dylan Holloway and defenseman Philip Broberg. It was unprecedented as teams rarely utilize the offer sheet option, but they could this summer as plenty of impact players will be restricted free agents. Some big names could be in play, but teams may be unwilling to part with a first-round pick when phenom Gavin McKenna is the prized prospect of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. Who will be targeted is anyone’s guess, so our compilation will focus on the most probable candidates to receive an offer sheet, rather than the most impactful. Let’s take a look at who the options are.

Noah Dobson would be at the top of most teams’ lists. However, the Islanders will likely be willing to pay close to $9MM to retain Dobson’s services and shouldn’t have any problem doing so, as they have nearly $29MM in available cap space for next season (as per PuckPedia). While Dobson’s extension should get settled quickly, Edmonton’s Evan Bouchard is one defenseman whose contract situation could become problematic. The Oilers know they will likely need to get to eight figures to retain Bouchard. However, you’d never guess that by the predicament they are in when it comes to the summer. The Oilers are projected to have just $13.5MM in cap space, with 18 players signed for next season. If Bouchard were to sign for $10MM, it would leave Edmonton with just $3.5MM to sign four players, meaning it could pay just the league minimum to fill out its depth.

Most teams would love to sign Bouchard, but how many teams with the cap space and draft pick assets are in a position where they can safely assume that their 2026 first-round pick won’t be a lottery pick? There aren’t many, which will be a significant consideration for any team considering using an offer sheet. A Bouchard offer sheet would need to come in north of $10MM, meaning the team trying to pry him loose would have to be willing to give up their 2026 and 2027 first-round picks and their 2026 second and third-rounders. Only nine teams currently have that capability, which is likely why the Oilers don’t appear overly concerned.

Dropping down a tier is Toronto Maple Leafs forward Matthew Knies, who makes for an interesting scenario, given that he won’t be the team’s biggest priority this summer when it comes to contract negotiations. Toronto has to deal with Mitch Marner’s and John Tavares’ UFA status and has just $27.5MM in available cap space. Toronto could be vulnerable when it comes to Knies. If a team were to drop an offer sheet to Knies in the $6.5MM range, it would cost them a first and a third-round pick and leave Toronto strapped when it comes to filling out their depth.

New York Rangers defenseman K’Andre Miller is another name to watch. The Rangers will look to retain the defender, but there is no suitable replacement for their left side. The 24-year-old brings a solid combination of mobility, size, and offensive capabilities and is an ideal second-pairing defenseman. The problem for the Rangers is that they have just $9.67MM in cap space with 18 players signed and will have to sign a handful of other RFAs. If a team were willing to go to $6MM for Miller, they could likely pluck Miller loose from the Rangers for a first and third-round pick. However, it seems unlikely a team would do that with the strength of next year’s entry draft and the warts in Miller’s game.

Sticking with the Rangers, they could be vulnerable to the same fate as the Oilers were last summer with Miller and forward Will Cuylle. Cuylle is having a breakout campaign this season with 20 goals and 44 points through 81 games. With the Rangers facing tight salary cap constraints, teams could see an opening with Cuylle and offer him a deal in the $4MM range, requiring just a second-round draft pick in compensation. This scenario seems one of the likeliest to happen, as many teams have the necessary compensation and salary cap space to make this move.

Finally, the most intriguing player, and one on whom teams may be willing to gamble, is Buffalo Sabres forward JJ Peterka. Peterka has nearly become a point-per-game player this season and hasn’t reached his prime yet, which suggests he has more to offer. The 23-year-old should receive an extension north of $7MM per season, but that’s where it gets interesting; Buffalo has the cap space to re-up but hasn’t yet. If it spills into the summer, teams might be willing to go to the upper limits of the $6,871,374 – $9,161,834 range and offer Peterka a deal in the $8MM range, which would force the Sabres to go higher than they’d like or lose the emerging forward for a first, second, and third-round pick. It seems unlikely that the Sabres would let that happen, but Buffalo does have other RFAs to be concerned about and will also be looking to improve their roster through trades and free agency. If they let Peterka’s contract negotiations drag into the summer, it could become a strategic blunder that leads to them overpaying the forward or watching him walk for draft pick compensation.

Photo by Walter Tychnowicz-USA TODAY Sports

Sharks Won’t Re-Sign Alexandar Georgiev

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Sharks general manager Mike Grier has informed goaltender Alexandar Georgiev he won’t be offered a contract extension before reaching unrestricted free agency in July, Georgiev told Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News late last night.

It’s been a difficult two seasons for the 29-year-old. While he led the league in wins in back-to-back seasons behind a powerhouse Avalanche team in 2022-23 and 2023-24, he didn’t receive any Vezina Trophy consideration in the latter year due to poor individual stats. The Bulgarian native posted a .897 SV% and 3.02 GAA in 63 games for Colorado last year, below-average numbers at face value. The Avs bled quality chances against more than usual in 2023-24, though, so those stats still translated to 5.0 goals saved above expected on the year, per MoneyPuck.

But heading into 2024-25, Georgiev’s seat in Colorado was hot as he entered the final season of a three-year, $10.2MM deal. Young backup Justus Annunen had outperformed him down the stretch, and he was underwhelming in the Avs’ playoff action. Georgiev had a .894 SV% and 2.95 GAA in 11 games as Colorado was ousted in the second round by the Stars.

Both Georgiev and Annunen were borderline unplayable at the beginning of this year, and both were traded by mid-December. Annunen went to Nashville for veteran backup Scott Wedgewood, while Georgiev was sent to the Sharks in a deal for Mackenzie Blackwood after posting a porous .874 SV%, 3.38 GAA, and an 8-7-0 record through 17 starts and one relief appearance.

As expected, things only improved marginally for Georgiev behind one of the league’s worst defenses in San Jose. He was a workhorse for the team with top prospect Yaroslav Askarov and backup Vítek Vaněček missing significant time with injuries (and the latter ended up being traded to the Panthers at the deadline), starting 30 of 52 games after the trade. He logged a 7-19-4 record, a .875 SV%, and a 3.88 GAA. Across 49 showings on the year, his lowest workload since 2021-22, he allowed 17.9 goals above expected, according to MoneyPuck. Only the Flyers’ Samuel Ersson (19.9) conceded more.

With Askarov primed to take on a starter/1A role in the NHL next season and more stable backup options available on the free agent market, it makes sense that the Sharks wouldn’t be interested in bringing Georgiev back to the organization. Whether there will be NHL offers available for Georgiev remains to be seen. There might be a couple of teams banking on a rebound to at least league-average play amid a relatively thin goalie market this summer, but otherwise, a return to Europe may be in the cards. Before arriving in North America with the Rangers as an undrafted free agent in 2017, he was a star in Finland’s Liiga with TPS, posting a .920 SV% across 51 games there.

Photo courtesy of D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images.

Injury Notes: Heineman, Rutta, Hayes

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Montreal Canadians’ left winger Emil Heineman returned to the lineup tonight in an all-important matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes, per Eric Engles of Sportsnet. He is slotted on the fourth line alongside Jake Evans and Joel Armia. Heineman has missed the last five games due to his upper-body injury.

In 61 games this season, the 23-year-old has produced 10 goals and 18 points. The 6’2, 200-pounder has also contributed 171 hits while maintaining a low amount of penalty minutes (20). His return comes after his second extended injury of the year. He previously missed five weeks with an upper-body injury sustained on a road trip in Utah when he was struck by a car. The Habs need a win against the Hurricanes to secure their place in the playoffs.

Other injury updates of note:

  • Veteran defender Jan Rutta was on the ice for the San Jose Sharks’ morning skate and could be inserted back into the lineup, per Max Miller of the Sharks Hockey Digest. Miller noted that Luca Cagnoni was sent back down to the AHL yesterday, perhaps clearing a path for Rutta’s return. Rutta missed nearly two months with a lower body injury before recently returning to the lineup. However, the team opted to sit Rutta out in game two of a back-to-back on Monday. Rutta recently expressed his desire to re-sign with the Sharks. The 34-year-old is set for free agency this summer but has enjoyed his opportunity to play in San Jose. On the season, Rutta has produced nine points, 80 blocked shots, and a minus-three rating.
  • Penguins’ forward Kevin Hayes is out day-to-day with a lower-body injury, NHL.com reporter Wes Crosby. With Pittsburgh having one game remaining on the season (Thursday against the Capitals), Hayes’ season is more than likely done. Hayes has produced 13 goals and 23 points in 64 games on the season. Despite spending time early in the season as a healthy scratch, Hayes has produced solid numbers in a mostly fourth line role. He was also recently nominated as the team’s King Clancy Memorial Trophy nominee. The award is given to the player who best exemplifies leadership and made significant contributions to the community. Hayes has one year left on his current deal and comes with a $3.5MM AAV (Philadelphia retains half of his salary).

Devils Dougie Hamilton Returns From Injury

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The Devils Dougie Hamilton is in the lineup tonight against the Detroit Red Wings, per a team announcement. The defender has missed the past 18 games due to a lower body injury he sustained on March 4th against the Dallas Stars. He has recovered quicker than expected after it was originally thought he would miss the remainer of the regular season.

According to an NHL release, Hamilton has been skating on his own the past three weeks and participated in warmups prior to Sunday’s game against the Islanders. Tonight, he has slotted right back into the team’s top pairing alongside Brenden Dillon.

On the season, the offensive-minded defender has put up 9 goals, 31 assists and 40 points in 63 games. He has added 81 blocked shots, 74 hits, a plus-nine rating, and has averaged 19:48 of total ice time per game on the year. In his career, the 31-year-old has scored 501 points in 834 career games.

Prior to the game, Devils coach Sheldon Keefe noted how hard Hamilton has worked to get ahead of schedule and back into the lineup. He added that Hamilton was, “Excited to go.”

New Jersey will finish third in the Metropolitan Division and will play the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round. Hamilton’s return and ability to shake off a little rust tonight, should support the Devils’ efforts in the playoffs. In 66 career playoff games, Hamilton has posted 29 points.

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